Overactive Bladder

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There is no single cause of an overactive bladder. Overactive bladder is defined as urinary urgency, usually accompanied by frequency and nocturia, with or without urge incontinence. Research suggests that multiple factors may play a part. These include:

Weak or spastic pelvic muscles

Neurologic causes

Medications

Dietary irritants

The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Nor does the contents of this website constitute the establishment of a physician patient or therapeutic relationship. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Most children will outgrow overactive bladder without treatment other than diet or lifestyle changes. Each year after the age of 5, the number of cases decreases by 15 percent as children's bodies develop and their bladders can hold more urine. Also, a child will learn to control the bladder more and respond to natural body signals to urinate.The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Nor does the contents of this website constitute the establishment of a physician patient or therapeutic relationship. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Going before going -- or emptying the bladder before feeling the need to urinate -- to try to avoid a trip to the bathroom when it’s less convenient may actually make bladder problems worse. The bladder can get into the habit of going even when you don't really have to.

A neurological exam may be done to assess your brain function and illnesses such as Parkinson's disease. Some neurological disorders are contributing factors to overactive bladder symptoms. Also, people who suffer from depression and anxiety tend to be more prone to overactive bladder.

Overactive bladder symptoms may represent other problems also. Bladder cancer, ureter stone, bladder infection, neurogenic bladder can all cause urine frequency, urgency and only a urologist can ensure that there is no other serious problem that is causing your symptoms. this usually entails a careful pelvic exam and a 1-2 minute scope of your bladder in the office.

Stress incontinence causes a bit of urine to leak when you sneeze because the bladder shifts position with age, or muscles in the area around the bladder become weak. Stress incontinence becomes more common after menopause. Kegel exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles often help symptoms of stress incontinence.

Medtronic InterStim Therapy is a nerve stimulation system placed under your stomach or upper buttocks. It has been approved by the Food & Drug Administration for relief of the urgency and frequency symptoms of overactive bladder.

A preventive wellness visit is recommended once a year. It helps keep a relationship with your doctor and enables him/her to screen you for medical and mental health problems. Preventive medicine is about finding out about problems early so they can be treated promptly.

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Some of the medications used to treat overactive bladder include Detrol, Detrol LA, Ditropan, Ditropan XL, Enablex, Oxytrol, Sanctura, Sanctura XR, Myrbetriq and VESIcare. Toviaz is also used to treat overactive bladder symptoms.

Botulinum toxin A (Botox) is approved by the FDA for treating overactive bladder when symptoms cannot be controlled by anticholinergic drugs. It is also approved for people who are unable to take these drugs.

The toxin is injected into the bladder wall in an outpatient procedure, under local anesthetic. The treatment increases bladder's capacity and improves symptoms. The effects usually last for several months. Then the treatment must be repeated. People who receive these injections sometimes get urinary tract infections or have trouble emptying the bladder completely.

This answer was adapted from Sharecare's award-winning AskMD app. Start a consultation now to find out what's causing your symptoms, learn how to manage a condition, or find a doctor.